Respect, Responsibility and Equality Maribyrnong Respect and Equity: Preventing violence against women Maribyrnong Respect and Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Evaluation Report September 2011 By Emma Wilkinson, Respect and Equity Coordinator Maribyrnong City Council Contents Section Page Acknowledgements 3 Abbreviations and acronyms 4 Tables, figures and photos 6 Mayor‟s message 7 1. Executive summary 8 2. Context 11 2.1 Global 11 2.2 Australia 12 2.3 Victoria 13 2.4 VicHealth 14 2.5 Local government 16 3. Respect and equity project 18 3.1 Project history 18 3.2 Overview 18 3.3 Objectives and strategies 21 3.4 Evaluation approach 22 3.5 Method 24 3.6 Indicators of success 25 4. Activities 32 4.1 Build on previous work 32 4.1.1 Phase one 32 4.1.2 Evaluating Maribyrnong PVAW action plan 2007-2008 33 4.1.3 Respect & equity action & evaluation plan 33 4.2 Shift the culture in council and community 35 4.2.1 White Ribbon: Engaging men, engaging the community 35 4.2.2 Working across Council 51 4.2.3 Preventing violence against women short course 57 4.2.4 Political leadership 59 4.2.5 Understanding and influencing council policy 61 4.2.6 Nested approach: Councils connection with the community 65 4.2.7 Building a local profile 74 4.2.8 Networking and building capacity across Victoria 76 4.2.9 Working in partnership 78 4.3 Share the learning 81 4.3.1 Showcasing respect and equity 81 4.3.2 Right to respect: the role of local government 85 4.3.3 Evaluating the project 86 5. Discussion 88 6. Recommendations 102 6.1 Provide leadership and support 102 6.2 Increase awareness and capacity to create gender equitable 103 environments 6.3 Increase and share skills and knowledge 104 6.4 Undertake and evaluate evidence based activities 105 6.5 Support and promote a respectful, inclusive, gender equitable culture 106 7. References 107 Maribyrnong Respect & Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Evaluation Report 1 Maribyrnong City Council 8. Appendices 111 8.1 MCC organisational structure 112 8.2 MCC staff survey 2011 113 8.3 Gender facilities audit (2008) key themes and findings 116 8.4 Gender facilities audit review (2011) 117 8.5 PVAW Council reports 2006-2010 120 8.6 Background to integrating the MPHP into the Council Plan 123 8.7 Council PVAW annual actions 2008-2011 125 8.8 Annual community survey PVAW questions 2009 127 8.9 2009-2010 community grants addressing one or more determinants of 128 violence against women 8.10 Respect & equity presentations 130 Maribyrnong Respect & Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Evaluation Report 2 Maribyrnong City Council Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge and thank the following people and organisations for their support with developing, implementing and evaluating the Maribyrnong Respect and Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women project. Foremost I must thank Maribyrnong City Council for fearless leadership, commitment and continued effort to create a community where women enjoy life in its fullest, free of violence and fear of violence; Rebecca Mangan, the previous Respect and Equity Coordinator, thank you for the benchmark; the Maribyrnong White Ribbon Working Group – amazing men championing the right of women to equality, safety and respect; deep gratitude to the community wellbeing leaders who have breathed life into this project and my colleagues in Safer Communities and Health Promotion (current, past, honorary and seconded) you are women worth sharing a reality. Many thanks to VicHealth and especially the brilliant preventing violence against women program; the Victorian Government for international firsts and a visionary Office of Women‟s Policy; the Local Government Network and Capacity Building Project, Municipal Association of Victoria, Victorian Local Government Association and local governments across Victoria engaged in creating communities free of violence against women; and Domestic Violence Victoria, Women‟s Health Victoria, Women‟s Health West and the Western Region Integrated Family Violence Committee for your feminist wisdom and expertise. The Learning Circle and Narrative Evaluation Writing Group, Leadership, Evaluation and Sustainability Network, Gender Equity in Local Government working group, Maribyrnong Preventing Family Violence working group, Preventing Violence Together; the western region working group and the Partners in Prevention Network for an invaluable role as the immovable reference point. The academic warriors, Dr Melanie Heenan, Dr Wei Leng Kwok, Prof Helen Keleher and Dr Carolyn Whitzman - you are truly inspiring. Finally, Georgie Hill, I thank you for your vision, your passion, your guidance and your truth. Emma Wilkinson Respect & Equity Project Coordinator Photo 1 White Ribbon t-shirt Maribyrnong Respect & Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Evaluation Report 3 Maribyrnong City Council Abbreviations & acronyms AFL Australian Football League CALD Culturally and Linguistically Diverse CDCP Centres for Disease Control and Prevention CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CEO Chief Executive Officer CSO Community Service Organisation DEECD Department of Education and Early Childhood Development DGCHS Doutta Galla Community Health Centre DHS Department of Human Services EBA Enterprise Bargaining Agreement ECB Evaluation Capacity Building EMT Executive Management Team, Maribyrnong City Council GLOVE Gender Local Governance and Violence Prevention IWD International Women‟s Day LEAS Leadership, Evaluation and Sustainability Network MAC Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre MAV Municipal Association Victoria MCC Maribyrnong City Council MDG Millennium Development Goals MPHP Municipal Public Health Plan MSS Municipal Strategic Statement MST Maribyrnong Safety Taskforce MVCC Moonee Valley City Council NCB Network and Capacity Building OWP Office of Women‟s Policy PCP Primary Care Partnership PiP Partners in Prevention PVAW Preventing Violence Against Women PVT Preventing Violence Against Women; Western Region Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women R&E plan Respect and Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Project plan R&E project Maribyrnong Respect and Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women project Right to A Right to Respect Victoria‟s Plan to Prevent Violence against Women 2010- Respect 2020 RPL Research Practice Leader RRE Phase Respect, Responsibility and Equality Phase SCHP Safer Communities and Health Promotion The National National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010- Maribyrnong Respect & Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Evaluation Report 4 Maribyrnong City Council Plan 2022 UN United Nations UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund For Women VAW Violence Against Women VicHealth Victorian Health Promotion Foundation VLGA Victorian Local Government Association WFF Women‟s Football Foundation, Western Region Football League WHO World Health Organisation WHW Women‟s Health West WIFVC Western Region Integrated Family Violence Committee WRD White Ribbon Day WRFL Western Region Football League WRHC Western Region Health Centre WRWG White Ribbon Working Group WYPIN Western Young Peoples Independent Network Maribyrnong Respect & Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Evaluation Report 5 Maribyrnong City Council Tables, figures and photos Photo 1 White Ribbon t-shirt 3 Mayor‟s message 7 Figure 1 Map of Maribyrnong local government area 11 Figure 2 An ecological approach to understanding violence 19 Photo 2 White Ribbon banner at town hall 36 Photo 3 CEO and WRWG at 2010 White Ribbon luncheon 38 Photo 4 Councillor and WRWG at White Ribbon luncheon 38 Photo 5 WRWG at the 2009 Council barbecue 39 Figure 3 Email signature for White Ribbon Day 40 Table 1 White Ribbon Day collateral 41 Photo 6 White Ribbon Day stickers 41 Photo 7 Walk Against Violence 2009 43 Photo 8 Peter at 2011 National White Ribbon Ambassador Awards in Sydney 44 Photo 9 Young people performing at WRD 2010 46 Photo 10 Kerry Thompson former CEO speaking at 2008 staff barbecue 47 Photo 11 Young people at 2009 FReeZa event 47 Photo 12 White Ribbon stencil in Maddern Square 48 Table 2 Text Against Violence texts written by local schools 49 Photo 13 Young people arriving at Text Against Violence November 2010 49 Photo 14 Text Against Violence banner 49 Photo 15 Texting against violence 49 Photo 16 Hip-hop dancers and performers 50 Photo 17 Gerogie Hill, Tony Long, Vince Haining, Peter Daglish and Luke Ablett 50 Photo 18 Cr Clarke and Cr Zakharov lead the march to Maddern Square 51 Photo 19 WRWG manning the barbecue 52 Figure 4 Staff survey results – local governments have a role to play 53 Figure 5 Staff survey results - awareness of R&E project at MCC 53 Table 3 Opportunities identified after PVAW short course 59 Photo 20 Western region White Ribbon Leaders Lunch 65 Photo 21 Cr Sarah Carter and Cr Martin Zakharov at Leaders Lunch 65 Photo 22 (l-r) Jen, survivor advocate, Brad Johnson and Maxine Morand 66 Photo 23 Publicity for Text Without Violence 67 Table 4 Advantages to involving young people in White Ribbon Day 68 Photo 25 Section of Women's Day Splash Gallery 69 Photo 24 Women's Day Splash Gallery 69 Table 5 PVAW community grants 71 Photo 26 Family violence help cards 74 Figure 6 Postcard from the Everybody can ... resource 77 Figure 7 PVAW networks and partnerships 79 Photo 27 PVT action plan at launch 80 Photo 28 WRWG members at PVT launch 80 Photo 29 PVAW collateral 81 Photo 30 Discussion at Showcasing Projects from the West workshop 82 Photo 31 Andrew Day presenting at LG PVAW conference 83 Photo 32 WRWG receive applause at LG PVAW conference 83 Photo 33 Councillor, Mayor and managers at LG PVAW conference 84 Photo 34 Councillor Michael Clarke (centre) at launch of Right to Respect 86 Figure 8 Nested approach 87 Maribyrnong Respect & Equity: Preventing Violence Against Women Evaluation Report 6 Maribyrnong City Council Mayor‟s message We the people of Maribyrnong declare our commitment to a community where opportunities for success are equally available to women and men; where our mothers, daughters and sisters live free.